By Sarah Brazle, 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent
We are thrilled to congratulate all of our grillers who participated in the 2024 Central Region 4-H Grill Master Challenge at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Cannon County 4-H proudly took 15 competitors to the event, forming teams of 4 where each member was responsible for either chicken, beef, lamb, or pork. Additionally, we had 3 individual competitors showcasing their grilling skills.
Through 4-H projects and activities, students develop essential life skills such as leadership, responsibility, communication, and teamwork. The Grillmaster Challenge involves teams of four, each member selecting a different type of meat—beef, pork, poultry, or lamb—to prepare and present to the judges. Participants created their own recipes, adhered to proper food safety and handling practices, started their charcoal fires, and had a two-hour window to perfect their entries. When presenting to the judges, they also had to specify the doneness of their beef, lamb, and pork.
We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication over the past few months of practice. A huge thank you to the parents for their invaluable support at practices and beyond. These events wouldn’t be as successful without volunteers!
Out of 22 counties and 177 competitors, several of our participants made it into the top ten. Special shoutouts to:
Brooklynn Conner for placing 4th in her Pork!
Nola Manning for earning 5th with her Beef!
Liam Perdue for earning 5th with his Lamb!
Olivia Guffey for placing 6th with her Pork!
Landon Perdue for placing 7th with his Lamb!
Kennedi Elkins for placing 8th with her Chicken!
Micheal Sizemore for placing 9th with his Pork!
We are so proud of every one of the Cannon County 4-H Members! The University of Tennessee Extension offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, or veteran status, and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Not only did the participants do well at the contest, but several have reported grilling for their families after the contest using the life skills learned which will be beneficial for their future. Congratulations to all participants for their hard work and dedication to the Cannon County 4-H program! We are very proud of your strong efforts!
If you would like more information about the Cannon County 4-H Program, call 615-563-2554. 4-H News can be heard weekly on the Farm and Family edition of After 8 Tuesday mornings on WBRY.